Chair or seat structure, and upholstery assembly therefor



c. H. WILL reb. 16, 1943.-

Filed July 3 1, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I ATT ORNEY ERY ASSEMBLY THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 16, 1943. ch. WlLL CHAIR 0R SEAT STRUCTURE, AND UPHOLST Filed July 51, 1940 INVENTOR- Carl H will Patented Feb. 16, 1943 CHAIR OR SEAT STRUCTURE, AND UP- HOLSTERY ASSEIWBLY THEREFOR Carl H. Will, Winnetka, 111., assignor to Tropic- Aire, Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application July 31', 1940, Serial No. 348,655 4 Claims- (01. 155-179) This invention relates to the upholstering art and has for its main object to provide means as a unit or in combination with another structure, for obtaining and maintaining a yieldable, neat, clean, non-wrinkling upholstery line or corner or equivalent line. in any environment where \a neat finish line of a covering material is required.

An object is to obtain a stiff yet yielding corner structure which is sufficiently soft or yieldable not to injure persons who may lean or be thrown heavily against it and yet which is hard enough and resilient enough to maintain a sumciently firm upholstery line after the finishing material has been pulled tightly against it, and which is of such a quality as to reduce to a minimum the wear of the covering material which is laid against it. It is also an object to provide and suit-ably secure to a cushion base material another suitable material of the same kind or of a different kind, but which has the required qualit for the purpose herein mentioned. Rubber may be used as a base and as a material for obtaining and maintaining the aforesaid line.

Features of the invention include: The use of two cushion materials of different resiliency for the purpose herein mentioned; the use of the material having the least resiliency as means for obtaining a neat upholstery line; specifically, the use of panatex and rubber combination in the manner disclosed and for the aforementioned purpose; the use of the cushion material applied as a lateral extension of the body of the cushion; the specific cross-sectional configuration of the finishing strip; the assembly as an article of manufacture, as adapted for application to any suitable structure, including application to the back of a chair; the specific construction of the unit as shown in the drawings; the use of reenforcing and connecting fabric strips alone, or the use of a single strip as a reenforcer and connector; the specific construction in connection with a seat back; and all broader ideas of means inherent in the disclosure.

Objects, features and advantages of the invention are disclosed in the description of the drawings, and in said drawings- Figure 1 is a front view of the unit, as an article of manufacture;

Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1 with the flexible securing element shown in outstanding position;

Figure 3 is a detail front view of one of the marginal outer cushioning and reenforcing units which are made in rights and lefts;

The invention may be applied Figure 4 is a bottom elevation of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a vertical section through the back of a chair or seat structure, showing the unit applied thereto;

Figure 7 is a fragmental detail view of the upper corner portion of the back of the unit shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 8 is a detail cross section'on line 8-8 of Figure 6 showing the details of attachment of the unit. v

Referring first to Figure 1. The numeral I indicates the cushion-forming body of the assembly. A good material is that known to the trade as p-aratex, but it is understood that any other suitable material may be used. Paratex is a combination of curled hair treated with latex, and is a material well known in this art. This body material, which will be referred to as paratex, is provided at the front with a recess 2 for the reception of a removable pillow section indicated in Figure 6 at 3. This pillow section may be made of the same material as the body I or of other suitable material indicated at 4, and the material 4 is enclosed in a suitable fabric casing indicated at 6. The bottom of the paratex body I is in this instance bevelled as at I.

The cushion body I is flanked on each side by a strip of cushion material which is applied as a lateral extension of the body and which is preferably flush therewith on the forward and rearward sides. One of the strips per se is shown in Figure 3, which is a front view. As will be seen by an inspection of Figures 4, 5 and 8, the greater portion of this element I0 has a configuration shown which is somewhat triangular.

It may be said that the insert or extension converges laterally and forwardly to the finishing line or surface.

Now referring to Figure 8. The element It! is bevelled on the inner side as at I I and is secured by cement or other suitable adhesive material such as rubber cement, not shown, but the position of which is indicated by the numeral I2. A corner I3 is provided, formed in this instance by right angularly related faces I4 and. I5, the face I5 being preferably narrow. The remaining face or side is indicated at I6 and as shown in Figure 8 is somewhat diagrammatically made to conform to the configuration of a structure, which forms no part of the unit, but in combination with which the unit is claimed. The crosssectional configuration of the strip, insert It, can be varied.

Now referring again to the article of Figures in this embodiment has the configuration just described and shown in Figures 3, 4, and 8. The forward surface [5 is narrower than the surface i6, and an upward extension of the same thickness as the surface I5 is provided at 2! See Figures 2 and 3. This upward extension is broadened as shown in Figure 2, to correspond to the broadening of the upper part of the paratex cushion in which the pillow section 3 is received. The elements If! or their equivalents, although they are preferably vulcanized or otherwise adhesively secured to the body i, are preferably further reenforced or held to the body near the bottom by a strip indicated at 2! which passes entirely across the rear face of the body i, thence across and around the elements [0 to the front thereof, and across their front to be adhesively attached as by rubber cement to the front face of the body I, as shown at 22.

Referring now to the section, Figure 5. Each element ii] is further secured to the body portion I at the front by means of a strip of fabric indicated at 25, which may be of gauze-like texture. This strip 25 is suitably adhesively attached to the body i and to the part H5, and passes rearwardly thereof against the surface l4 and is shown in outstanding position at 2'6. This part 26, as will later be shown, is wrapped or brought around, in this instance, part of the back structure as shown in Figure 8, to assist in securing the unit to the back.

t the rear the element is additionally connected to element 1 by means of a strip of fabric 2? extending substantially the full length of the body as shown. Although these various reenforcing connecting strips are claimed as part of the structure, it is understood that the invention is not entirely limited thereto, because the gist of the invention is to so combine the body and marginal materials as to provide a proper base for the covering or finishing or upholstering material such as M. This material It is sufficiently soft or yieldable as not to injure persons who may lean or be thrown against it strongly, and yet hard enough and resilient enough to maintain a firm, neat upholstery line at the corner. In bus or passenger vehicle seats the upholstery which is exposed on the aisle side (see Figure 8) is submitted to considerable pressure and friction, partly as a result of passengers leaning against it. The material H) is of such a nature that it will promptly assume its initial position after compression, and of such consistency as to reduce wear on the material 4! to a minimum. Wear is reduced by having a resilient, yieldable backing for the finishing material 4!, the wear-saving function being somewhat similar to that provided by using thick padding under a floor covering. The materialiii preferred herein is compressible rubber with the proper recoil quality. For the use herein described it is desirable to have the base or cushion material I more yieldable than that of the marginal mate rial iii, and a base of paratex and a. marginal strip iii of rubber have been found to give the desired result. It will, of course, be understood that the element in is of soft compressible and properly resilient rubber and while there is no intention to limit the invention entirely to paratex and rubber, this combination per se is also claimed.

Another feature of the inventionrelates to the combination of the unit with the particular structure, or with any structure to which it is applicable. The particular manner of applying the unit and the particular means for securing it are also claimed.

Referring now to Figure 6, the numeral 30 indicates a base or chassis of a bus seat. Pivoted to this base at the back by a suitable pivot 3| is a back rest member generally indicated by the numeral 32. This back rest member consists of a tubular frame having substantially the form of an inverted u, each leg of which is generally indicated by numeral 33. The detail structure of one of the legs is shown in Figure 8'. The other leg has been shown merely in outline. Leg 33 is composed of a channel member 34 and a member 35 cross-connecting it as shown. To these members 35 is secured a back cloth 3'6, the securing means being generally indicated at 31 and forming no part of the present invention. The back cloth forms a suitable base for receiving the unit herein. The element 35 is provided with a forward extension, which with a corresponding portion of the channel 34 forms a laminated forward, fabric-locking extension 39. The assembly which is the subject matter of this invention and which is believed new in combination with the structure shown, as well as in combination with other suitable structures, is in this instance laid upon the back cloth 36 and then its forward face is covered with a suitable padding 4!! such as cotton batting, and over this is arranged the finishing or upholstering material. In this instance the finishing material comprises, for example, a mohair section ll attached as diagrammatically shown at 2 to a section of leather 63. This attachment is made by sewing the parts together, but since it is not claimed per se it is not shown in more detail. Moreover, there is no intention to limit the invention including parts i and IE3 or either one of them or their combination equivalent, to the kind of finishing material mentioned. Any single kind of material may be used and may be continuous across I and around It to the tucking in point. This leather section 43 has a terminal bead 46 which is tucked as shown, between the extension 39 and the rear surface of the back cloth 35. The head 46 is thus opposed to an inner shoulder formed by the inner side of the forward extension 3Q,and thus an upholsterylock is obtained. Before the element 43 is tucked in as shown, the section 26 is wrapped around the leg 33 as shown in Figure 8. The unit is also provided at its top (see Figures 2 and 6) with a fabric strip ll which is also wrapped around the top of the frame '32, in the manner of the part 26.

Referring to Figure 6, the lower end of the material il passes around the bottom side of the assembly unit and has an extension indicated at 55 which is tucked in or made to lie between the rear surface of the paratex body 1 and the hanging back cloth 3%. The back cloth is extended as at 5! forwardly and downwardly and has a metal finishing piece 5i at its end which is suitably connected by fastening devices 52 to the rear edge 53 of the chassis or base 36. A suitable seat cushion structure 56 is laid upon the base :and preferably engages the front face of the upholstery material 4! At the rear the unit is provided with a recess 58 (see Figures 6, 1 and 2) by which the unit can be hooked over the top of the back frame 32 to hang while the facing material is applied as shown in Figure 8.

It will be understood that the use of other materials is contemplated, both for the body of the pad or cushion, and for the reenforcing and extension members l0. For example, rubber. of varying densities is to be used for both the body and the lateral extensions, and paratex of different densities is to be used and, as herein shown, paratex for the body :and rubber for the reenforcement or extension is to be used. The use of rubber for the body and paratex for the reenforcing member is contemplated, in which case the paratex has much greater density and has the proper compressibility and resiliency.

Some of the materials best known at the present for use for the body, as distinguished from the marginal extensions, are paratex, sponge rubber, latex foam, and rubberized tampico. Rubberized tampico is a mixture of tampico and certain vegetable fibers, which fibers may or may not have the quality of bristles, and the fibers are not necessarily stiff. This material is well known in the art. This expression rubberized tampico just as the expression paratex designates material familiar to those engaged in this art and having various qualities.

It will further be understood that although the invention is shown as applied to a seat back, the invention is broader than the mere application, although the specific embodiment is claimed. It is believed new to provide a marginal structure for obtaining a resilient and compressible backing over which to draw and longitudinally adjust suitable upholstering material for the purpose shown herein. The quality of the marginal finishing material is or may be such as to facilitate sliding of the material lengthwise of the resilient backing, so that a neat corner line may .be obtained.

It may be said that the element I converges from the back cloth forwardly and outwardly to provide a relatively thin strip or facing surface provided at the lateralmost, forwardmost side, in this instance, with a rectangular corner. It will be understood that this corner may be rounded, but in any event, it forms an elongated finishing line structure, facing outwardly and forcibly acting by outward expansion after having been compressed by drawing the finishing material tautly about it or against it. In this expanded, resilient condition it not only provides a neat finish, but provides a protective function. When it is used on bus seats and located at the aisle side of the seat it provides a neat finish and at the same time is yieldable to pressure by the human body leaning against it and is yieldable to blows.

The paratex and rubber are preferably cemented together, but they may be sewed together, or the two parts may be placed in a mold and vulcanized, or one part may be placed in a mold and the other part molded to it or around it.

The present construction is particularly advantageous where the material 43 is leather, and is attached to mohair or other suitable material. The invention can also be used with coated fabrics, such as imitation leather.

The line or corner provided by the material Ill, whatever may be its consistency, is maintained to permit the pulling of the finishing material longitudinally of the corner II] to remove wrinkles and as a result obtain a very neat, even finish throughout the full length the corner of the device herein shown or of the corner of a seat cushion.

This is true whatever may be the manner of finally attaching the cloth to the member 33 or to the member 35. The material can, in any event, he slid and manipulated around the corner lengthwise and crosswise of the same.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a chair back comprising, a frame providing upright side members, a back cloth bridging said members, a cushion unit laid against the forward side of the back cloth and composed of a first resilient cushion material having directly attached thereto at opposite margins as extensions thereof, strips of a second cushion material which has a greater resiliency than that of the body material, fabric material secured to and securing the first and second materials together and passing rearwardly and around said upright members, and a taut finishing material placed in opposition to the forward side of said fabric material and extendin rearwardly and over said fabric material, also around said members and attached to said members.

2. A cushion assembly as an article of manufacture comprising a first cushion material having secured directly thereto as a lateral extension at each opposite longitudinal margin strips of a second cushion material which is less compressible and more resilient than the first material, the surfaces of all materials at the front and back being flush with one another, the front face of the first cushion material having a depression therein for receiving a head rest cushion, and the first cushion material being composed of paratex and the lateral extensions being composed of compressible rubber.

3. A cushion assembly as an article of manufacture comprising a first cushion material of relatively large area having integrally attached thereto one at end opposite margin and as a lateral extension a strip of second cushion material which is less compressible and more resilient than the first material,the linear length of each strip at that side which corresponds to the outermost end when the article is position as a cushion and in a direction lengthwise of the assembly being substantially greater than the liner length of the inwardmost portion.

4. A cushion assembly adapted to cover the front of the back of a seat, said assembly comprising a body portion of first cushion material having secured thereto at each side as a lateral extension a second cushion material which is less compressible and more resilient than the first material, each extension having lateral and front faces meeting to provide a forward lateral corner finishing line, said assembly having secured thereto near its bottom a strip of fabric reenforcing material extending across its rear face and around the extensions to its front face and to a point across the meeting line of the lateral extensions with the body, said assembly having attached to the front face of the body at each side and to the corresponding lateral extension a flexible strip adapted to be wrapped around a corresponding lateral element of a seat back after the assembly is applied to the back, and the rear of said assembly having near the top a recess by which the assembly can be hooked over the top of a seat back.

CARL H. WILL. 

